In a fiery address to AIADMK cadre in Madurai on Tuesday, former AIADMK minister Sellur K Raju took aim at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Tamil Nadu chief, K Annamalai, accusing them of leading the party into a minority position in Parliament. Speaking near Samayanallur, Raju criticized Annamalaiās leadership, asserting that the BJP’s recent electoral setbacks were due to leaders like him.
Raju emphasized that the AIADMK, with its long-standing political dominance in Tamil Nadu, has no need to seek seats from the BJP to contest elections. His comments were in response to Annamalaiās earlier statement that the BJP would prefer to lead any alliance with the AIADMK, rather than allowing the AIADMK to take the helm.
“As long as Annamalai remains in the BJP, it would be like a ‘saamiyar’ (an ineffective or ceremonial leader),” Raju remarked, underscoring his belief that Annamalaiās approach has weakened the BJPās standing in Tamil Nadu and nationally.
Highlighting AIADMKās significant history, Raju reminded the audience that the party has been in power for 32 years, a testament to its strength and influence in the state. He warned Annamalai against speaking disrespectfully about AIADMK leaders, insisting that such behavior would not be tolerated.
Raju also took a swipe at DMK Minister TM Anbarasan, who had recently criticized AIADMK stalwarts M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) and J. Jayalalithaa for their film industry backgrounds. In his rebuttal, Raju pointed out that the late DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, also had roots in the film industry, suggesting that Anbarasanās criticism was hypocritical.